Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4) by Sarah J. Maas
Publication date: Sept 1, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Summary: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . . She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. (greads.com)

My Thoughts

Nothing I am about to say will come close to doing Queen of Shadows and the entire Throne of Glass series justice. It’s one of the best fantasy series I’ve ever read and if you decide to stop reading the rest of my review to look up the books (or better yet, buy them), I’ll consider my job done. But I do want to share with you my thoughts because they’re bursting to be let loose in what will hopefully be a coherent manner.

Celaena Sardothien has finally embraced who she truly is, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen and it is a sight to behold. She’s still the same devoted, kind, fierce, intelligent, capable and sassy assassin we’ve all come to love but it’s on an entirely different level now. A queenly, more intensely determined level. Aelin is a force of nature who’s going to reclaim her kingdom and save her friends. The entire ride was a breathless, high-action, emotional-filled journey that I was more than happy to let Aelin (and Sarah) lead me on.

That actually sums how I approach each new book that’s released. I don't try to predict anything and my only expectation is that my mind will be blown (and it is, every single time!). I’m happy to put myself in Sarah's hands because I trust that whatever she writes — whether it’s character development or romance — will end up feeling right. There’s been a lot of talk about who Aelin will end up with and I get it (I admit, there’s a guy I ship her with) but at the end of the series, I just want her to have a partner who will love and accept her wholly as she is. Whether it’s my own personal pick or not, I will be on board with the lovely Sarah J. Maas (to whatever end!).

(And end of tangent. *back to review*)

While reading, I kept thinking — it’s all happening! Sarah said it best during a recent interview when she described this book as being filled with pay-offs. It’s scattered with huge ones that you know the series has been working towards and smaller moments as well. All of which are immensely satisfying. I am just forever impressed by the intricacies of the plot and the details from previous books that come back to affect the present. But what I’m most impressed by is how Maas handles the multiple characters. I typically find it difficult to feel invested in every character in multi-POV books but she is one of the few authors who makes it work. I care about everyone in some capacity and she makes them all so interesting and fully fleshed. In addition to Aelin, Aedion, Dorian, Rowan, Manon and Chaol, two more characters are introduced and let’s just say, they are a hugely welcome to this motley crew. (And especially because this crew is so female-empowered!) I can’t wait to see how all their destinies continue to become intertwined. It’s clear they’re headed towards one hell of a ending if my barely contained feels from Queen of Shadows are any indication.

Do I recommend?

YES YES YES. Queen of Shadows made me feel gripped with anticipation for the characters and their adventures but it also made me laugh, cry and swoon. This is my biggest book hangover ever and reminded me that it's experiences like this that made me love reading in the first place.